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지나쌤

US man planned to blow up Pentagon

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Published : Sept. 29, 2011 - 11:38

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 BOSTON (AP) --  A man was arrested Wednesday and accused of plotting an assault on the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol using remote-controlled aircraft armed with explosives _ the latest of several terrorism cases to spring from federal sting operations.

A police car sits in the driveway of the home of 26-year-old Rezwan Ferdaus, in Ashland, Mass., Wednesday. (AP) A police car sits in the driveway of the home of 26-year-old Rezwan Ferdaus, in Ashland, Mass., Wednesday. (AP)



Rezwan Ferdaus was arrested in Framingham, Massachusetts, after undercover federal agents delivered materials he had allegedly requested, including grenades, six machine guns and what he believed was 24 pounds of C-4 explosive. Federal officials said the public was never in danger from the explosives, which it said were always under control and closely monitored.

Wednesday's arrest was similar to other cases in which reputed would-be terrorists were caught in sting operations that revolved around fictional plots against various targets, such as Dallas skyscapers or a Chicago nightclub. In this case, though, authorities say Ferdaus planned the scheme.

According to a federal affidavit, Ferdaus, 26, of Ashland, became convinced America was evil through jihadi websites and videos, and began planning ``jihad'' against the U.S. in early 2010. He contacted a federal informant that December and months later, allegedly began meeting to discuss the plot with undercover federal agents he believed were members of al-Qaida.

Ferdaus said he wanted to deal a psychological blow to the ``enemies of Allah'' by hitting the Pentagon, which he called ``head and heart of the snake,'' according to the affidavit.

``Allah has given us the privilege,'' he allegedly told the informant. ``... He punishes them by our hand. We're the ones.''

Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen who graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree in physics, made a brief initial appearance Wednesday in federal court on charges of attempting to destroy federal buildings and providing support to a foreign terrorist organization, in this case al-Qaida. A detention hearing was scheduled for Monday.

Telephone messages were left at the office of his attorney, Catherine Byrne, and at the address listed for Ferdaus in the affidavit.

Several alleged domestic plots have been thwarted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including in Lackawanna, New York; Portland, Oregon; and Virginia.

Terrorism arrests involving federal stings have often been followed by claims of entrapment, but none of the cases brought since Sept. 11 has been thrown out by a court on such grounds.



U.S. Rep. William Keating of Massachusetts, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, said lawmakers have been warned for months of an emerging threat from homegrown extremists. He said al- Qaida is casting a wide net to radicalize individuals or small groups already in the country because of the significant advantages.

``They're already here, so they don't have the hurdles of getting into the country, they know the country better. ... They know how to move around,'' Keating said. ``The testimony we heard, things like this (the Ferdaus arrest) were inevitable.''

Ferdaus is accused of planning to use three remote control airplanes measuring up to 80 inches (200 centimeters) in length. Ferdaus allegedly planned to pack five pounds (2.27 kilograms) of explosives in each plane, while saving some of it to blow up bridges near the Pentagon.

The planes, guided by GPS and capable of speeds greater than 100 mph (160 kph), would hit the Pentagon and blow the Capitol dome to ``smithereens,'' according to Ferdaus' plan, detailed in the affidavit. Ferdaus then planned a follow-up automatic weapons attack with six people divided into two teams, according to the affidavit.

At one point, according to recorded conversation detailed in the affidavit, Ferdaus told undercover agents that his desire to attack the United States was so strong, ``I just can't stop. There is no other choice for me.''

According to the affidavit, Ferdaus traveled to Washington in June to do surveillance, and drew up a 15-phase attack plan. He also allegedly rented storage space to work on the planes in Framingham, telling the manager he planned to use the space for music.


This undated photo released by the United States Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts (USAMA), shows a remote controlled model of the US Navy's 1960s Phantom jet fighter that allegedly belonged to Rezwan Ferdaus, who was arrested on charges of planning to fly explosive-packed, remote controlled airplanes into the Pentagon and the Capitol in Washington, authorities said. This undated photo released by the United States Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts (USAMA), shows a remote controlled model of the US Navy's 1960s Phantom jet fighter that allegedly belonged to Rezwan Ferdaus, who was arrested on charges of planning to fly explosive-packed, remote controlled airplanes into the Pentagon and the Capitol in Washington, authorities said.


Asked at one point about possibly killing women and children, Ferdaus allegedly said all unbelievers of Islam were his enemies.

Prosecutors also accuse Ferdaus of supplying the undercover agents with mobile phone devices he said could be used to remotely detonate explosives. When the undercover agents falsely told him the devices had been used to kill three U.S. soldiers in Iraq, he allegedly became visibly excited and said he felt ``incredible. ... We're changing the world.''

Rezwan is unmarried and has no children, the affidavit said.

He had at least one previous brush with the law. In 2003, The Boston Globe reported that he and two other Ashland High School seniors were accused in a vandalism spree at the school.



 

<한글기사>
물리학도 美 국방부, 의사당 폭파기도

폭탄 채운 원격조종 항공기 이용 테러 기도

테러조직 알-카에다를 추종하는 한 미국 남성이 미 국방부(펜타곤)와 의사당에 대한 폭탄테러 음모를 꾸미다 붙잡혔다.

보스턴 연방검찰청은 28일(현지시간) 플라스틱 폭탄(C4)을 채운 원격조종  항공 기를 이용해 국방부 청사와 의사당을 공격하려는 음모를 세운 혐의로 미국 국적의 레즈완 페르도스(26)를 체포했다고 밝혔다.

페르도스는 해외 주둔 미군을 공격할 수 있도록 알-카에다에 물자 등을  제공하 려 한 혐의도 받고 있다.

페르도스는 이날 보스턴 외곽인 매사추세츠 주(州) 프레이밍햄에서 알-카에다 조직원으로 위장한 연방수사국(FBI) 비밀요원으로부터 자신의 테러 계획을 실행하기 위해 미리 부탁한 폭발물과 수류탄, AK-47 소총 등 무기를 넘겨받다 체포됐다.

페르도스는 노스이스턴대 물리학과 졸업생으로, 알-카에다의 열렬한 팬이었으며 지난해 초부터 미국을 표적으로 한 '지하드(성전)'를 도모하기 시작한 것으로 수사 당국은 보고 있다.

그는 앞서 FBI 비밀요원들에게 급조폭발물(IED)용 전기 스위치로 사용할 수  있 도록 개조한 휴대전화도 전달했던 것으로 알려졌다.

진술서에 따르면 페르도스는 올해 FBI 비밀요원을 만났을 때 폭발물을 채운  인

공위성항법장치(GPS) 장착 무인 항공기를 이용, 국방부와 의사당을 공격할 계획을 밝혔었다.

수사 당국은 "올해 5월과 6월, 페르도스는 비밀요원들에게 국방부와 의사당  공 격을 위한 단계적 실행방법 등 상세 공격계획을 담은 2개의 이동식저장장치를  전달 했다"고 밝혔다.

페르도스는 목표물 가운데 하나인 의사당 주변을 사전 탐색하기 위해 워싱턴 D.

C.를 찾기도 했다.

그는 또 자신이 FBI 비밀요원들에게 전한 휴대전화 기폭장치로 이라크 주둔  미 군 3명이 숨지고 4~5명이 부상했다는 얘기를 전해듣고는 "그것이 바로 내가 원했던 것"이라면서 기뻐했다.

페르도스는 재판에서 혐의가 확정되면 최장 15∼20년 징역형을 받게 된다.